A.R. Gurney

Sit, stay, see ‘Sylvia’

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By Wendy Carson

The Village Theater, a newly minted company based in Noblesville, leaps onto the local stage scene with their delightful production of the comedy “Sylvia,” by A.R. Gurney, in Carmel.

Greg (Mason Odle) is having a midlife crisis. He’s fed up with his job, he’s missing his now-grown kids, and he’s unhappy living in the city. Into his life bounds a perky, devoted young female who is the answer to all his woes. Kate (Andrea Odle), his wife, who is flourishing as an empty-nester, puts her foot down and refuses to allow her to live with them, at first. She reluctantly allows Sylvia (Amber Shatto) to move in on a temporary basis.

Should I mention that Sylvia is a dog?

Thus, we have an endearing story in which we are privy to all of Sylvia’s thoughts and actions and the conversations she holds with our main couple, when each human is alone. Add to the mix JB Scoble, portraying the various supporting characters: Tom, the fellow owner at the dog park who reads books and analyzes Greg and Sylvia’s relationship; Phyllis, one of Kate’s snooty friends who shares her horror at the changes she must endure as no longer the only female in the house; and Leslie, Kate’s therapist, who tries to council Greg but ends up sharing Kate’s disdain for the usurper.

Director Larry Adams excels at keeping the show about their relationships while allowing the joy and laughter inherent to shine through. Offstage spouses Mason and Andrea Odle address their characters’ needs and desires as a couple, as well as their conflict regarding Sylvia. Scoble shows off his range with his three characters but is a sheer audience delight in his turn as the pearl-clutching Phyllis.

Shatto’s energy and exuberance throughout all the various phases of her character is spectacular. Anyone who’s had a dog or been around them for any period will recognize all of her projected behaviors and hopefully gain insight into what these creatures may have been communicating to us all along.

A sweet, funny, heartfelt salute to man’s best friend, “Sylvia” is at – ironically – the Cat, 254 Veterans way, downtown Carmel, for three more shows, Friday through Sunday, April 19-21. Get tickets at thecat.biz.

Belfry sets a place for you

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By John Lyle Belden

What’s the most important room in the house?

You might answer the kitchen, as that’s where the food is; or the living room, as that’s where the TV is; or, of course, the bathroom for obvious reasons. But the play “The Dining Room,” a comedy by A. R. Gurney, makes a case for this often-overlooked (if you even have it) space that was a stoic witness to change for middle-class America through the 20th century.

In the Belfry Theatre production, occupying the Switch Theatre in Fishers through Jan. 30, seven actors show us 18 scenes through 40 years (1939-79) with one nice but not quite antique table and set of chairs. Though it finally goes on the market in the era of Disco, this house is mostly home to members of a single family. They wouldn’t consider themselves wealthy but are well-off enough to have at least a cook and maid, at least in the early decades.

The fourth wall (French doors, we are told) becomes our window into their lives, as even in the stuffy past, there are youngsters looking towards the new while elders cling to the best of what has been. As the scenes bounce back and forth through the years, parents become grandparents, children become parents, and there’s always something we really shouldn’t talk about at the table.

The ensemble of Mia Gordon, Jennifer J. Kaufmann, Tim Long, Jeff Maess, Tom Riddle, Addie Taylor, and Debbie Underwood splendidly take on what must be a fun acting exercise, inhabiting the various ages and characters – only one is an actual youth, so “child” roles take on extra charm as the older hands truly commit. Under the direction of Diane W. Wilson, the scenes flow easily into each other, sometimes having a person or two from one era sharing the space with oncoming folks from another, making the room, in a way, timeless.

Though real tensions and drama sometimes pop up, this play is mainly a gentle comedy, the kind of feel-good family portrait that we can use about now. Even if we aren’t mid-century WASPs, we can feel a sting of familiarity in dealing with relatives in changing times. And it’s good to find something to laugh about, or at least knowingly smile, in it all.

Find the venue at Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, 10029 E. 126th St., Suite D (note there is street construction in the area). Find info and tickets at www.thebelfrytheatre.com.